Edgar Arceneaux’s
The Gods of Detroit are a compilation of two pieces of loose canvas hung from a wire.
What appear to be clay-coiled figures take over the canvas to make a political statement.
This can be assumed by the sewn pieces of canvas that accompany the figures with the words “Puilbc siveercs,” public services and “Edcaituon” Education.
Highlighting the figures two muddy smudged lines stream across the center third of the background horizontally. Accompanying these lines are what appear to be random brown-gray outlined circles with varying amounts of plain canvas filling the center.
To me these circles resemble bullet holes.
To the left hangs, the public service figure with a rather gangly and robot in physique with distinctive arms, legs, face, eyes, etc. His overall appearance reminds me of the tin man; however, he seems beaten, sad and disintegrating. His arms are abnormally lengthy lacking hands. The right arm also appears to be loosely twisted as it dangles limply downward with no distinctive elbow. The left arm is more realistic in appearance with an elbow bend and thickening at the end for a hand, however a definite hand cannot be determined as the public services strip covers the end. The legs appear as if the figure was in a bombing with a very thin right leg ending at the knee and a thicker left leg that appears to have a big chunk taken out of the thigh. The thigh tapers off as if the leg is going to end, however a small point attaches the rest of his leg. There is no foot due to the leg of the figure going off the canvas.
The Education figure is much more bulky. There is an implied figure; however, it is not traditionally presented. The whole body is in knots almost as if the person tangled up its own appendages. The head is made of coils with no distinctive features. Hands project out of a torso wrapped and tangled by the figures arms. The legs are coiled and bulky as if the figure has cellulite with distinctive knees, but no apparent feet due to the Education strip covering an implied right foot and the left leg continuing off the canvas.
These pieces appear to be taking a stance against our social struggles. Looking at the public service piece, I think about our government debt, the high unemployment rate, the downfall of US automobile manufacturers, the never-ending wars between nations and all the other misfortunes that have fallen upon our country. The education banner brings thoughts of educational budget cuts, teacher lay offs and the slow disintegration of extra curricular activities or the fees that have been tacked on to keep them. Due to the appearance of the figures, specifically the robot like silhouette of the public service banner I wonder what our economy, our country is going to look like in the future.
Further analyzing the piece, the abnormal alien like silhouettes paired with their unsettled appearance of floating in space makes them appear as if they are from another world. The representation and scrambling of the words makes leads to questions pertaining to the origins of the figures. Furthermore, the desolate background is unrecognizable which leaves me pondering the characters location. Are they here or on a distant planet or galaxy?
